Social Ineptitude
by wolf's paradise
Summary: "Oof." "Hey! Moron." Ichigo found himself staring up at one of the prettiest things he had ever seen. It was blue. All blue. Another GrimmIchi story that isn't what it seems. For Curiosity Killed Kristy.


**A/N:** This is for the wonderful Curiosity Killed Kristy. I had a few story ideas and she chose for me to write this one, so I hope this is good! This is actually what I wrote for my final fiction portfolio – just, of course, without Ichigo and Grimmjow's names. My teacher gave me a B, but with some of the revisions I've done after receiving my grade, I hope it's even better. Enjoy Kristy! Love you bunches, sweetheart.

**NOTICE:** I'm actually really proud of this. I think I did well and made a good, in depth, and meaningful story. PLEASE don't just read through it and say "that was pointless". I hope that it'll strike thought and memory into you readers, and show that I've really sort of grown in my writing – at least in a different way than I normally write.

**Warning:** It's GrimmIchi and I'm writing it. It will be yaoi. Did you think it wouldn't?

**Story started:** 5/31/2012

**Story ended:** 10/3/2012

**Story edited:** 12/20/12 to 1/18/13

* * *

Social Ineptitude

_by wolf's paradise_

So much noise. He felt his ears ringing with the sound of brown noise and static, and he hugged his notebook close to his chest as hoards of people bumped into him. It made him flinch.

They were all talking loudly, trying to get the other to listen to what they were saying and competing for attention. He felt like he was in a pack.

_They're like wolves_.

At least, they were similar. It was like a slew of packs meeting each other, bouncing their assets back and forth from pack to pack.

People pressed against his shoulders and it felt like they were shoving him aside. With all of the contact, his stomach clenched and adrenaline jolted up through his body. He could feel the pressure from so many eyes resting on him.

He felt fearful of so many people. They were all talking and shouting and some were even arguing and wrestling with others. It seemed like someone smacked into him, dislodging his arm and causing his notebook to slip from his fingers. The person turned around to yell at him, startling him and causing him to back away slightly. Gingerly, he snatched up his notebook and walked forward.

_Eyes down. Just keep them down. No confrontation_, he murmured to himself.

Regret blossomed in his chest. Maybe it had been a bad idea to try high school. It had been so exciting seeing others chattering about school. He'd wanted that with his sisters, but this wasn't working out. He just wanted to get to class, but there were so many things clouding his mind.

So, he did the only thing he had come to depend on. He entered his own world.

_It's like a pandemonium of noises, but perhaps it's better to be called a forest on a clear, crisp morning. All of the animals were announcing their presence in the bright sun. Cockatoos clucked and fluffed their feathers at one another. Parrots and other brightly colored birds snapped and chirped at old friends and new ones. Squirrels hopped to and fro in chattering excitement as they saw others they knew. Does greeted other does, shy and apprehensive about the new environment. Young bucks sauntered over to introduce themselves. The does smiled and fluttered their lashes._

_At the sound of hooves the does' heads popped up in reverence and the bucks stared with awe. The moose finally strutted into the forest clearing, graceful, large, and popular cows pacing through the trees. The does and the bucks and squirrels hurriedly moved out of their way. The bulls stepped through, their huge antlers and physique creating a hushed sense of awe as the bucks backed away to let them pass._

_It was a moose that was blocking the path to—_

"Hey! Moron."

Ichigo found himself staring up at one of the prettiest things he had ever seen. It was blue. All blue.

"What the fuck are you staring at, Moron?" the other boy said. His hands were fisted in Ichigo's shirt.

"Your hair."

With a cry of rage the boy with the blue hair shoved him away and drove his back straight into the lockers. Ichigo yelped, arms immediately protecting his center as he stared into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They shimmered like winking starlight.

"I said: what are you staring at, Moron?"

"Grimmjow! In my office now." It was the principal, a nice man with a graying beard. He always had sweets on hand. Ichigo liked him. "Grimmjow!" the principal yelled again. "Let go!"

Slowly, the boy's hands loosened from Ichigo's shirt.

"Go to my office," the principal repeated. As Grimmjow stalked off, the principal glanced at Ichigo. "Ah, perhaps you should come, too."

Ichigo nodded, carefully moving as he picked up his backpack. His back stung, but he followed the principal to the office. It was nice to have these moments of peace. No one jostling him or shoving him and making him feel uncomfortable. Moments later, he was by himself, the other boy with blue hair in a chair nearby.

He twiddled his thumbs. "I'm Ichigo."

The other boy scoffed.

"My mom said it's polite to introduce yourself, but I'm not sure why."

"Oh, you're a mamma's boy then." The other boy's face was pulled into a frown, eyes unforgiving.

Ichigo smiled. "Your hair. It reminds me of…my mother." He could see her so clearly, as if it had been yesterday. Her delicate hands, the soft jingling of her bracelet, and her sweet voice. The boy's hair was dyed a cotton candy blue, just like the treat his mom had bought him that day.

"What, your mom has blue hair, too?"

"No. She died."

And he remembered the leftover cotton candy clutched in his hand, the car speeding away, and the lilting music her bracelet made as he shook her to wake her up.

The other boy flinched, and said nothing. He continued to stare at the empty principal's chair. ichigo glanced his way. The boy's fingers clenched and unclenched, and Ichigo's eyes rested on the band-aids. Two of them on Grimmjow's bruised fingers were blue with orange cartoon cats. Three were red with black cats.

"I like dogs better," Ichigo blurted.

Sharp blue eyes looked at him.

Ichigo grinned. "Cats are fine, I guess. But I like dogs."

"I like panthers."

"That suits you."

"I guess? I'm Grimmjow."

"Oh."

Grimmjow resumed staring at the chair. For a while, neither boy spoke. The room was filled with peaceful silence before Grimmjow decided to break it.

"So. Dogs, huh?"

Ichigo flushed, eyes dropping to his tennis shoes. "Any animal, really."

"What?"

"I like animals."

"Oh."

Nervously, Ichigo's fingers twitched. "I really like your hair."

Grimmjow turned his head away, lips settling into a deeper frown. But his icy blue eyes were on the wall now, almost as if he were concentrating on something.

"It's my favorite color."

Now Grimmjow turned back. "It's…my sister's, too."

"Best color ever."

Again Grimmjow looked as if he were concentrating or studying something. Ichigo's eyes looked up, eyeing the blue hair again.

"Why did you dye your hair blue?"

"My sister asked me to."

"But…you don't like it. Not really. The blue, I mean."

"I do anything she asks me to."

Ichigo smiled, looking at his hands. "My sisters tell me that."

"What?"

"They tell me they'd do anything I asked them to do, too."

"Oh. I see."

"I don't know what to say to them when they do."

"You would get along with my sister."

"She seems very nice," Ichigo said. "What's she like?"

Grimmjow didn't speak for a moment. "She's very special. Young. I don't understand her most of the time, but I… I try. She's sweet. Always happy."

"I'm not used to meeting new people."

"No. Neither am I," Grimmjow said after another short pause.

The creak of the office door startled Ichigo, eyes jumping to the principal as the tall man entered the room. He immediately sat in the chair, hands folded like a steeple in front of him.

"I apologize for being late. I had to discuss some delicate matters. Grimmjow, you know the drill," the principal started. "Just go home and come back tomorrow. Ichigo, you can return to class. I know this ordeal was not your fault."

Ichigo shifted, his hands trembling. "Principal…can Grimmjow help me around? We're in the same grade, right?"

The principal sighed, a hand coming up to rub at his temple. "I don't think—"

"I can help him. I don't mind." When the principal raised an eyebrow skeptically, Grimmjow continued. "He's a bit like my sister, I think. You know Nell."

The principal studied Grimmjow, eyes never leaving the face under the blue hair. Grimmjow didn't look away. "Ah. Very well," the principal sighed. "Are you sure you would like Grimmjow to accompany you?"

Carefully, Ichigo nodded.

"I suppose you two are free to go, then. And Grimmjow? If I hear anything from the other teachers…"

"I will go straight home," Grimmjow said, rolling his eyes.

Ichigo smiled as they exited the office. "I think you're a panther."

"What?"

"A panther suits you."

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. "I don't understand."

"Panthers are loners. But they can also be very loving and brave animals."

"Um, I suppose."

Someone jogged by, obviously late for class and bumping into Ichigo's shoulder. Grimmjow reached out and grabbed the boy's arm quickly, spinning him around until the boy was facing Grimmjow. The boy's brown eyes widened.

"Watch where you're going," Grimmjow growled.

The other boy nodded vigorously, and Grimmjow slowly let go of the arm. The other boy dashed off, vanishing around the corner of the hallway.

"What was that for?" Ichigo said.

The blue haired boy didn't say anything.

00000

Hours later, Ichigo beamed as he stepped through the door of his house. His father was home early today, as were his two sisters. All three of them were seated at the dining room table, papers and notebooks spread out over the dark wood. They all smiled.

"Ichigo!" his sisters greeted excitedly.

He smiled shyly. "Hi, Karin. Yuzu. Dad."

"How was school?" Big grey eyes turned to him, yet as the soft and melodic tones reached his voice, a more confident smile lit his face.

"I liked it, Yuzu," he murmured, eyes hitting the ground once before he awkwardly reached out and patted her brown head. After a moment, he pulled away, feeling the burning urge to look at the floor again.

"That's all?"

Ichigo let the harsher pitch of Karin's voice echo in his ears before he glanced down, not meeting her eyes. "I didn't at first. But… I think I will."

"Need any help with anything, son?"

Quickly, Ichigo peered up at the sound of the deeper bass of his dark-haired father. When the question rang in his mind, he shook his head, an arm reaching out behind him for a rail as he withdrew towards the stairs.

"Ichigo," Karin started, voice sounding like a plea. Ichigo cut her off, suddenly feeling enclosed. He felt his face scrunch up and the adrenaline begin in his chest.

"I'm going upstairs."

He slowly made his way up the steps, sighing when he disappeared from sight and his family's voices floated to his ears. He leaned against the wall, out of sight as he calmed his breathing and listened.

"Take it easy, Karin. It's hard for him." Yuzu's voice was soft and pleading. Sweet Yuzu that always smelled like homemade bread.

Karin let out a long sigh. "I know. I just wish it wasn't so hard for me to talk to him. I'm not good at this, Yuzu. Not like you. You can talk to him like Mom did."

"He's still your brother, Karin," his father interrupted. "We all love him despite how difficult it is sometimes. We just don't quite know how to show it, and he is uncertain how to accept it."

Ichigo jumped when he heard one of the chairs scrape on the floor, and hurried down the hall to his room. He didn't mean to be rude. He occasionally heard these conversations, but they were lost on him. He didn't understand them, but he felt warmth at his father's words of love. He at least understood they cared for him.

Carefully, Ichigo sat at his desk, a pen gripped in his hand as he looked down at pages of sloppy writing. He had been so unsure at the beginning of school. Then, he'd met Grimmjow. As the scene rolled in his head again, the pen flew across the paper.

_Grimmjow bristled, acting like he was protecting something. He was a beautiful panther and seemed determined to keep his mouth closed. I didn't want to upset him, though. I was just curious. I really liked the color of his coat. It was so black it almost looked blue, and it created a rainbow against the greens and browns and yellows of the meadow. He didn't seem to like me, but I mentioned my mother and he seemed more willing to talk. I feel strange, though. I don't talk much to people I don't know. It isn't comfortable. It makes me nervous._

_But when Grimmjow spoke it was like listening to the rumbling of a nervous volcano. Not his roar – that was unpleasant and loud and frightening. But his deep voice was like a balm, and I felt like I was wrapped in its soothing power._

00000

Ichigo twiddled his thumbs nervously the next morning. His sisters had left him standing in front of the school only five minutes prior, but his eyes were anxiously searching for blue. His heart thumped in his chest, nervousness taking hold again.

Would Grimmjow show up today? Would he be there? Grimmjow hadn't said anything the day before, Ichigo had just assumed that Grimmjow would be attending school the next day. What if he didn't show up? Ichigo felt his adrenaline spike. He would be sad if Grimmjow didn't show up today. He wanted to see his hair and talk to him. He wanted to hear Grimmjow's deep voice that rolled like a scale of musical notes.

People were beginning to close in on him and pass by too close for comfort. They acted as if he were invisible, stepping around him. Their voices never changed. They were still loud and it made his ears ring, but no one touched him.

The sea of faces blurred past him, a mix of browns, yellows, blacks and reds. There was only one color he wanted to see.

Suddenly, blue drew his eyes and he locked onto it. From out of the crowd Grimmjow stepped into view, stopping just before Ichigo. His hands were shoved into his pockets. He looked uncomfortable.

Ichigo's gaze lowered and he felt warmth at the sight. Grimmjow wore blue jeans and a blue shirt. His thick hair was still as blue as ever and his blue eyes held a slight sparkle. Ichigo smiled.

Grimmjow smiled back.

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**A/N:** So, what do you guys think? Was it good? I had a page limit I couldn't go over, so it had to be short and to the point. Plus, with his slight "condition" it isn't supposed to be very detailed – at least, he notices details most other people wouldn't notice, and doesn't notice details that others _would_ notice. So, to stimulate thought on the chapter, here's some questions you can think on (if you'd like):

**1)** What could be the reason why Grimmjow suddenly changed his mind about Ichigo? How could that relate to Nel?

**2)** What are some differences between the beginning of the story and the end?

**3)** What do you think is the "condition" Ichigo has?

**4)** Was the story any good?

**5)** Were you satisfied by the ending (if this was a simple, one-time published work) or were you unsatisfied? (this has nothing to do with just 'wanting the story to continue'. If this piece was all there was and ever is going to be, was it satisfying?)

**6)** Would you want to read more? If so, in the same style (short and to the point) or in a more descriptive style that gave you more of a universe and with many people around Ichigo?

**P.S. If anyone is wondering why it took me 5 months to finish this, at least 2 of those months were spent working 10 hour days and writing was not on my mind. But I feel that 5 months isn't that bad. We want updates NOW! But… sometimes it isn't that easy. A writer I listened to at a reading said it took him 8 years to get this little short story right, and even now he doesn't think it's quite as good as it should be. That really hit with me. I realized that sometimes my best work and thought is performed when I start something and then revisit it again and again and it becomes better and better. But people don't see my writing process. All they see is the wait. So just keep that in mind when you press people to "update soon."**


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